Hospital plumbing arrangement



Feb. 1, 1955 F. J. COLENDAR HOSPITAL PLUMBING ARRANGEMENT Filed Nov. l5",' 1952 IN V EN TOR. FEEDER/6k J COL mom BY PM I M ATTORNEYSv United States Patent-O HOSPITAL PLUNIBING ARRANGEMENT Frederick J. Colendar, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Sloan Valve Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application November 15, 1952, Serial No. 320,745

7 Claims. (Cl. 4-1) This invention is concerned with hospital plumbing equipment, but more particularly with bedpan cleansing equipment, and the principal object of the invention is to design a new and improved plumbing arrangement for the aforesaid purpose.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved plumbing equipment for hospital use which will be quiet in operation so as not to disturb the patients.

Another object is to design bedpan cleansing equipment which is entirely leak-proof under conditions of back pressure from the plumbing fixture.

A further object is to provide hospital bedpan cleaning equipment in which the danger of pollution of the water supply from back-syphonage is eliminated.

In hospital plumbing equipment for cleansing bedpans, it is customary to provide a water closet and a flush valve for supplying flushing water to the closet, together with a flexible hose nozzle arranged to rinse the bedpan directly into the water closet. After the hose nozzle is shut off, it is not desirable or convenient to let it hang down in the water closet to drain off the excess drippage from the hose, and the invention therefore contemplates the provision of a drip receptacle located adjacent the flush valve for supporting the hose nozzle when not in use and which is connected by a drain tube with the discharge tube extending between the flush valve and water closet.

The invention is illustrated and described in detail in one of its contemplated forms, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a hospital plumbing arrangement showing generally the bedpan cleaning equipment, while;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the plumbing equipment showing the invention.

As shown in Fig. 1, the hospital bedpan cleaning equipment consists of a water closet 5 connected to a hydraulically operated flush valve 6 of Well-known construction, which discharges a fixed quantity of water through the discharge tube 7 connecting the flush valve 6 with the water closet 5 for the purpose of cleaning the same of any wastes deposited into the closet. The bedpan (not shown) is usually placed at an angle and rests on lugs 8 in the water closet 5 so that the waste contents in the bedpan can be dumped into the water closet. To thereafter rinse out the bedpan a flexible hose connection 9 is utilized having a cleaning nozzle 10 provided with a self-closing valve 11. The hose 9 is connected to a float type vacuum breaker 12, having a water supply connection leading to a hot water valve 13 and cold water valve 14 so that any desired temperature of water may be used for rinsing purposes. In order to prevent leakage or drippage of water and waste from the nozzle 10 onto the floor when the valves 13 and 14 are shut off, the nozzle 10 is placed inside of a cylindrical drip receptacle 15 to catch the drippage.

The drip receptacle 15 is preferably supported on a wall surface at its upper end as by mounting bracket 21 encircling the same, and at its lower end is screw threaded into a cup-shaped member 16. A drain tube 17 is threaded into the bottom of member 16 and extends horizontally to a junction with the discharge tube 7. The junction of drain tube 17 and discharge tube 7 is formed by a bushing 18 into which the tube 17 is threaded on the side and the tube 7 on the bottom. The outlet tube 19 from the flush valve 6 is threaded into the top of bushing 18, there being a vacuum breaker 20 also arranged in the outlet tube 19 below the flush valve.

Arranged within the discharge tube 7 is an inner secondary discharge tube provided with an upper flange 26 resting on a shoulder 27 formed in the bushing 18 for supporting tube 25 centrally and in spaced relationship to the walls of discharge tube 7. The lower end 28 of both discharge tubes 7 and 25 extends to a point slightly above the top ledge 29 of the water closet 5. The discharge tube 7 is attached to the bowl ledge 29 by the spud connection consisting of the slip joint packing and nut 30 threaded into the coupling member 31. The clamp nut 32 also is threaded on coupling member 31 to hold the unit tight onto the bowl ledge 29 in the manner shown. The spud flange 33 conceals the junction in the usual manner.

In the operation and use of the arrangement according to the invention, the bedpan is placed on the water closet 5', then tilted and the waste contents dumped therein, after which the flush valve 6 is manually tripped by handle 35. This results in a measured quantity of water being discharged by the flush valve 6 through vacuum breaker 20, outlet tube 19, secondary discharge tube 25, and into the water closet 5 to dispose of the waste. Due to the fact that both discharge tubes 7 and 25 terminate at 28, just above the top of the water closet, and also because a small rise of water due to slight back pressure, occurs in the space 36 above the point 28, no air can be drawn into the system as by aspiration, through the space 36 and the drain tube 17, from the drip receptacie 15. The discharge tube 25 effectively prevents the gurgling sound or other objectionable loud noise which usually occurs in the absence of the secondary tube 25, when water flows past the end of the drain tube 17 at the point where it joins the discharge tube 7 in the coupling 18.

Another important result produced by the arrangement of the two discharge tubes 7 and 25 with their ends 25 above the closet bowl, is that elimination of the aspirating effect of the discharge stream also prevents air from being intermixed with the water flow and as a result when the water flows into the closet bowl 5, it does not contain entrapped air bubbles which would have the effect of producing an objectionable noisy action in the bowl. This entrapped air has a tendency to attempt to break the regular syphon action produced in the bowl during the flush, with the result that a loud gurgling noise is emitted. The arrangement effectively prevents this.

In the event that considerable back pressure is present in the space 36 between the two discharge tubes, as a result of the water closet 5 being of the type which creates relatively high back pressure, the water will rise upward in the space 36, along the drain tube 17 and into the fitting 16. T o prevent leakage and spilling outward from the drip receptacle 15, an inverted cup-shaped float valve 40 is arranged in the fitting 16. The float 40 rests on a shoulder 41 on the bottom of fitting 16 and at the top rises up to close upon the valve seat 42 which is clamped in the fitting 16 by the perforated plate 43 and drip receptacle 15. The perforated plate 43 serves as a rest for the end of the hose nozzle 10 and also prevents interference with the action of the float valve 40 by the nozzle.

Should a vacuum condition take place in the water supply line at the time that the flush valve 6 is actuated, there is danger that the polluted contents of the water closet 5 would be sucked back into the pure water supply line especially if the water closet is clogged up at the time. This is effectively prevented by the vacuum breaker 20 which acts as a back check with its valve member 45 and at the same time admits air through the ports 46 to the piping system to break the vacuum condition. Atmospheric pressure is also admitted into thepiping system through the drip receptacle 15 and drain tube 17 to assist in this action. Back syphonage through the hose 9 is prevented by the vacuum breaker 12 arranged in the hose supply line.

After the closet bowl 5 has been flushed, the bedpan is rinsed out by first opening the hose valves 13 and 14 to obtain the desired mixture of temperate water, and

then directing the stream from the hose nozzle into the bedpan, the self-closingvalve 11 on the nozzle 10 controlling the flow. When the bedpan is cleaned, the flush valve may again be operated to flush the water closet. The hose valves 13 and 14 are then closed off and the nozzle 10 placed in the drip receptacle 15 to catch any drippage of contaminated waste water which may be lodged in the nozzle 10. This drippage flows downward around the float valve 40 through drain tube 17, space 36, and into the water closet. Because the end 28 of the discharge tube 7 is situated just above the bowl ledge 29, the possibility of the contaminated drippage from nozzle 10, getting up into the discharge tube or being splashed therein, is eliminated when occasional back syphonage takes place. The outlet from the pure water supply is therefore placed as remote as possible from the contaminated flow so that no danger of pollution of the supply can take place. The inlet water supply is usually piped to a shut-off and throttle valve 47 before going into the flush valve 6, so that the rate of flow into the water closet can be properly regulated.

The invention therefore provides an improved bedpan cleansing equipment which is simple in construction and convenient in operation, whose action is quiet so it will not be audible to disturb hospital patients, and in which danger of back-syphonage and pollution of the pure water supply is eliminated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a plumbing arrangement including a flush valve and a water closet bowl, a discharge tube connecting said flush valve with said water closet bowl, said flush valve operative to discharge a quantity of water through said discharge tube into said water closet bowl to cleanse the same, a drip receptacle for holding a bedpan cleansing hose nozzle, a drain tube connecting said drip receptacle with said discharge tube at a point above said water closet bowl so that drippage from said hose nozzle passes into said drip receptacle through said drain tube and said discharge tube into said water closet bowl, and means for eliminating the air suction noise in said drip receptacle caused by the water discharged through said discharge tube, and rising between both of said discharge tubes to block the flow of air therethrough, when said flush valve is operated, said means including a secondary discharge tube inside said discharge tube.

2. In a plumbing arrangement including a flush valve and a water closet bowl, a discharge tube connecting said flush valve with said water closet bowl, said flush valve operative to discharge a quantity of water through said discharge tube into said water closet bowl to cleanse the same, a drip receptacle for holding a bedpan cleansing hose nozzle, a drain tube connecting said drip receptacle with said discharge tube at a point above said water closet bowl so that drippage from: said hose nozzle passes into said drip receptacle through said drain tube and said discharge tube into said water closet bowl, and means for eliminating the air suction noise in said drip receptacle caused by the water discharged through said discharge tube, when said flush valve is operated, and rising between both of said discharge tubes to block the flow of air therethrough and from said drain tube, said means including a secondary discharge tube arranged inside said discharge tube and extending from the drain tube to the top of said water closet bowl.

3. In a plumbing arrangement including a flush valve and a water closet bowl, a discharge tube connecting said flush valve with said water closet bowl, said flush valve being operative to discharge a quantity of water through said discharge tube into said water closet bowl to cleanse the same, a drip receptacle for holding a bedpan cleansing hose nozzle, a drain tube connecting said drip receptacle with said discharge tube at a point between said flush valve and said water closet bowl, a secondary discharge tube arranged inside of and in spaced relationship to said discharge tube and extending downward from said drain tube to the top of said water closet bowl, drippage from said hose nozzle passing from said drip receptacle through said drain tube into the space between said discharge and drain tubes and then into said water closet bowl, said secondary discharge tube being arranged to eliminate aspirating effect therethrough caused by the water passing through said discharge tube, and rising between said discharge tubes to block the flow of air therethrough from said drain tube, whereby said plumbing arrangement is made noiseless.

4. In a plumbing arrangement including a flush valve and a water closet bowl, 2. vertical discharge tube connecting said flush valve with said water closet bowl, said flush valve being operative to discharge a quantity of water downward through said discharge tube into said water closet bowl to cleanse the same, a drip receptacle for holding a bedpan cleansing hose nozzle, said drip receptacle arranged alongside of said flush valve, a horizontal drain tube connecting said drip receptacle with said discharge tube at a point between said flush valve and the top of said water closet bowl, a secondary discharge tube arranged inside of and in spaced relationship to said first discharge tube, said secondary discharge tube extending from the top of said water closet bowl to a position above the junction of said drain tube with said first discharge tube, whereby drippage from said drip receptacle will pass into said water closet bowl in the space between said first and said secondary discharge tubes, the lower end of said secondary tube being submerged during the discharge of water through said first discharge tube due to the rise of water between said discharge tubes thereby blocking the flow of air through said drain tube, whereby the aspirating effect of the discharge cannot take place between said first and secondary discharge tubes and noise is thereby eliminated.

5. In a plumbing arrangement including a flush valve and a water closet bowl, a vertical discharge tube connecting said flush valve and said water closet bowl, said flush valve being arranged to discharge a quantity of water into said water closet bowl, a drip receptacle for holding a bedpan cleansing nozzle, a horizontal drain tube connecting said drip receptacle with said discharge tube at a point between said flush valve and said water closet bowl, a secondary discharge tube located inside said first discharge tube having a smaller diameter than said first discharge tube to provide a space between said tubes, drippage from said drip receptacle passing from said drain tube into the space between said discharge tubes and then into said water closet bowl, said secondary discharge tube being effective to eliminate noise by preventing the aspirating effect of the discharging water through said discharge tube from taking place between said discharge tubes, said secondary discharge tube enabling said water to rise between said discharge tubes to block the flow of air through said drain tube, said secondary discharge tube also reducing possibility of leakage through the space between said discharge tubes and out through said drain tube and drip receptacle when low back pressures are encountered in said water closet bowl, and a float in said drip receptacle for preventing leakage outward through said drip receptacle in case relatively high back pressures are encountered,

6. In combination, a plumbing arrangement including a flush valve and a water closet bowl, a vertical discharge tube connecting said flush valve with said water closet bowl whereby said flush valve discharges a quantity of water into said water closet bowl, a drip receptacle, a drain tube connecting'said drip receptacle with said discharge tube, a secondary discharge tube inside said discharge tube and extending from the junction of said drain tube to the top of said water closet bowl, the discharge from said flush valve also passing through said secondary discharge tube and the drippage from said drip receptacle passing through the space between said first and secondary discharge tubes, a float in said drip receptacle and a valve seat for said float in said drip receptacle whereby upon a rise of water in the space between said discharge tubes, caused by back pressure from said water closet bowl, will cause said float to raise against said valve seat and prevent leakage from said drip receptacle.

7. In combination, a hospital plumbing arrangement including a flush valve and a water closet bowl, a vertical discharge tube connecting said flush valve with said water closet bowl, said flush valve operative to discharge a quantity of water into said water closet bowl, through said discharge tube, a drip receptacle located adjacent said flush valve for supporting a bedpan cleansing hose nozzle, a horizontal drain tube extending from the bottom of said drip receptacle to a junction with said discharge tube at a point between said flush valve and said water closet bowl, a secondary discharge tube arranged inside said first discharge tube and spaced from the walls thereof, said secondary discharge tube extending from above the junction of said drain tube with said discharge tube to the top of said water closet bowl, drippage from said drip receptacle passing through said drain tube and the space between said first and secondary discharge tubes 5 into said water closet bowl, the discharge of water from said flush valve through said first and secondary tubes tending to create a noisy aspirating effect in the space between said first and secondary tubes which effect is blocked by a small rise of water in the space between said tubes, said secondary tube also preventing the drippage from coming in contact with the discharge from said flush valve inside said discharge tubes, a float and a valve seat therefor in said drip receptacle, said float operative to close upon its seat and prevent leakage outward from said drip receptacle when excessive back pressure is present in the space between said first and secondary discharge tubes and in said drain tube, and a perforated plate in said drip receptacle for supporting the hose nozzle and preventing it from engaging and interference with said float.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 610,521 Bonafede Sept. 13, 1898 1,061,888 Von Der Crone May 13, 1913 1,205,513 Carlson Nov. 21, 1916 1,277,165 Winters 1,321,357 Bates Nov. 11, 1919 1,878,910 Stine Sept. 20, 1932 2,567,025 Osterhage Sept. 4, 1951 

